Rick Warren's Tithing Testimony

Whatever you may think about Rick Warren, his tithing testimony is inspiring.

Rick Warren started Saddleback Community Church in Orange County, CA, in 1980.  His church experienced explosive growth and became one of the fastest growing, largest churches in America.  He is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, the best-selling book of all time next to the Bible. 

Rick and his wife, Kay, decided early on in the book's success to be reverse tithers.  Instead of giving ten percent and living on the rest, they give ninety percent and live on the rest.  With all of the money made from the sale of The Purpose Driven Life, you might imagine that it would be easy to be so generous.  But their amazing generosity did not begin when they became wealthy. 

Here's the part of the story that most people do not know.  When Rick and Kay got married they made a decision that they would faithfully tithe, and then each year increase their tithe by one percent.  Some years it was easy, and some years it took a lot of faith.  They were proving that they were faithful stewards; that they could be trusted with greater things. 

But that's not all.  After the publication of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick stopped taking a salary from the church, and he gave back every penny that the church had ever paid him since he started the church in 1980. 

In light of Rick's generosity and faithfulness to God, is it any wonder that God has blessed him with so much wealth and influence?  After all, doesn't the Bible say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy (Mt 25:23)."

Rick Warren's story is a reminder that you cannot out-give God.  If you will commit to tithing, God will commit to blessing you.  And the more you give over and above the tithe, the more God will reward you.